“The Sign,” a techno-reggae song by the Swedish group Ace of Base has become certified Platinum in the U.K. for selling 600,000 units in streams and sales by the British Phonographic Industry.
The song released November 1, 1993 was from the group’s 1993 album of the same name as well as their 1992 album Happy Nation released by Arista and Mega Records first in Europe then in the U.S. on 14 December 1993.
Produced by band member Jonas Berggren, alongside Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr, “The Sign” is a pop that narrates a couple’s contemplation of their relationship.
Key Highlights of the song:
- Topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six non-consecutive weeks in the United States.
- Ace of Base made history as the first Swedish group to simultaneously hold a number one song and album on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200, respectively.
- Ranked as the number one song of 1994 on Billboard’s year-end chart.
- Secured the top spot in 14 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand.
- Peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.
- Directed by Mathias Julien, the music video earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.
- The music video has surpassed 157 million streams on YouTube.
- In 2023, Billboard magazine recognized it among the 500 best pop songs of all time.
Background and Development: Originally excluded from their 1992 debut studio album Happy Nation, “The Sign” caught the attention of Clive Davis, head of Arista Records. Davis passed the demo to Swedish producers Douglas Carr and Denniz Pop, envisioning a departure from the tone of Happy Nation. Despite the demo containing only the instrumental, Pop perceived the verse as the chorus and embraced a clear vision for the song.
Recorded at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, Ace of Base members Linn and Jenny Berggren reimagined the song as a duet, with Jenny contributing to the chords and harmonies. Jonas Berggren noted the challenges of singing without breathing time due to the loud recording volume. The sound was subsequently lowered by three decibels during audio mastering.
Other Chart Performance: Achieving chart-topping success, “The Sign” reached number one in several European countries, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Spain.
